The present invention relates to equipment and methods for the sampling of friction sensitive liquid nitrate esters during the manufacture, transfer or storage of the same. The materials of principal concern are nitroglycerine and diethylene glycol dinitrate. These materials are known to be extremely sensitive to friction. This extreme sensitivity has meant that the transport or processing of the esters can be very hazardous because any accumulations of stagnant nitroglycerine or diethylene glycol dinitrate can lead to detonation from the slightest friction. Therefore, improvements in sampling are an important contribution to this field. Nitroglycerin grades that satisfy military specifications are manufactured under exacting specifications. One result is that the acceptance testing process for the nitroglycerin is itself covered by a specification. Because the material is very sensitive to friction, the sampling, on one hand, needs to accurately represent the material, and on the other hand, needs to be a safe method for personnel who perform it or who are in the vicinity of the manufacturing facility. The current specification for acceptance testing of liquid nitrate esters such as nitroglycerin (NG) at ammunition plants involves the production of a 5000 lb lot from which a small quantity of NG is educted for analysis. This technique has several drawbacks. One disadvantage is that 5000 lbs of NG must first be produced and stored for acceptance testing. In some plants, this quantity will require two hours of production which will result in a large quantity of explosive being held prior to it being declared acceptable for use. There is a further concern as to whether the educted sample taken from the five thousand pound storage lot of NG is a true representation of the contents of the storage tank. The NG is usually transported and stored in the form of an emulsion of NG in water or a solution of soda in water. A safe reliable sampling technique will can save time and expense in the production of NG. A related material is diethylene glycol dinitrate. Of the liquid nitrate esters, nitroglycerin and diethyl glycol dinitrate, are the most sensitive to friction. Although there is substantial experience in the manufacture, storage and transportation of these extremely friction sensitive liquid nitrate esters, the problem of accidental explosions still occurs in the facilities for the manufacture and storage of the NG and DEGDN.